Ugh... this really &^#*es me off!

AmykinsCatfood

http://www.oddee.com/item_98687.aspx

This is one of my favorite "time wasting" websites... so when I go there today I see this Fat celebrating article basically saying that if you're fat you're pretty much invincible.

Actual quote from the article: So, the next time anyone tells you that you're getting fat, just look deeply shocked and reply, “It's my bullet-proof protective layer. You don't have one?!”

NO. I DON'T. I have a layer of potentially dangerous and life-threatening mass which could contribute to heart disease and diabetes, among several other health problems that can kill me. Yeah maybe being larger did help these people avoid death by trapping bullets or making them too big to fit down a damn hole, but it makes it seem like it's completely OK for everyone... that it could save their life some day. Don't get me wrong, I am obese. I know this, and have been most of my life, but I'm trying to change that because I want to live a good life. Not one that will make it so that I don't die by being shot in the stomach just to die from heart disease a few years later.

mperrott2205

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”

stackhead

One of the few good things about being in the UK - the chances of me getting shot are quite low, so no need for a bulletproof layer!

TBH I didn't think it was in any way celebratory, and it wouldn't encourage me to stay fat.

aetzkorn14

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”

True that

AmykinsCatfood

One of the few good things about being in the UK - the chances of me getting shot are quite low, so no need for a bulletproof layer!

TBH I didn't think it was in any way celebratory, and it wouldn't encourage me to stay fat.

Maybe that's a difference between the UK and North America too.. I know far too many people who would take it as an excuse to stay fat.

tlou5

To each their own- some people need to learn the need for healthy eating/ exercise the hard way.

quirkytizzy

Those cases made the cut because they were extreme. Most people will never be stabbed, fall off a balcony, or contract the flesh eating virus.

Not so much an excuse for staying fat, but definitely sensationalist journalism.

lauren3101

I didn't find it celebratory at all. Just interesting and vaguely humorous. The quote that you mentioned was designed to be humorous and no-one in their right mind would take that seriously.

If you know people that would choose to be fat because of these stories then those people would pick any excuse, so the problem lies with them, not with this article.

Calliope610

Re: Example #5 - "The 400-Pound Woman Who Fell Through a NYC Sidewalk and Survived Because She was Overweight" - somehow I'm thinking a smaller (120-180lb) woman would not have had the ground collapse (sic) beneath her.

5ftnFun

Those cases made the cut because they were extreme. Most people will never be stabbed, fall off a balcony, or contract the flesh eating virus.

Not so much an excuse for staying fat, but definitely sensationalist journalism.

Yeah, my reaction pretty much. It's an article of interest because these people are the exception, not the rule, and it makes for an unusual read.

jetlag

A 400-pound woman who fell through a New York sidewalk claims that her size actually came to her rescue and that a slimmer woman may not have survived the accident. Ulanda Williams, 32, of Queens was attempting to take shelter from the rain outside a restaurant on Manhattan's Upper East Side when the ground collapsed beneath her.

Erm, is it possible the "ground collapsed beneath her" because she weighed 400lbs?

5ftnFun

Re: Example #5 - "The 400-Pound Woman Who Fell Through a NYC Sidewalk and Survived Because She was Overweight" - somehow I'm thinking a smaller (120-180lb) woman would not have had the ground collapse (sic) beneath her.

lol....good catch on that one. :laugh:

xeno8604

Its all about analyzing risk and seeing what is the biggest risk factors are, even with clear statistical data this can hold up. With all the statistical data being fat could act as a positive, but like I said there are too many risk factors that out weigh this as a positive such as health issues and what not. In the end, its really about personal choice, and bottom line, "WHO REALLY CARES!!"

explosivedonut

Man, though their bulletproof layer might help them with bullets, let's hope that they don't drop something on their foot, or have to run from an animal, or have to catch someone, or need to be carried out of a burning building. I don't think their adipose/kevlar would help them in those situations.

rml_16

I didn't find it celebratory at all. Just interesting and vaguely humorous. The quote that you mentioned was designed to be humorous and no-one in their right mind would take that seriously.

If you know people that would choose to be fat because of these stories then those people would pick any excuse, so the problem lies with them, not with this article.

What she said.

Does dieting also reduce people's senses of humor?

MzManiak

I didn't find it celebratory at all. Just interesting and vaguely humorous. The quote that you mentioned was designed to be humorous and no-one in their right mind would take that seriously.

If you know people that would choose to be fat because of these stories then those people would pick any excuse, so the problem lies with them, not with this article.

QFT

LivingtheLeanDream

That article was to help justify why people can stay fat - People do that to justify their size!

I'll give you an example, my brother in law recently was teasing me about my weight loss which I didn't like - he was basically putting me down saying I'll not live any longer because I'm thinner, that my life is laid out for me no matter what - now to an extent I agree that our days are numbered, we are born to die but there is also another saying 'the foolish die young' - My BIL and his wife are morbidly obese, I guess them teasing me about my fitness/diet helped them feel better about themselves? I only know that since I started this journey my energy has increased, my stamina for workouts is much improved and I look pretty darn fine lol. Ok a part of me hopes that my healthier lifestyle will help me as I age, but it can't hurt to be healthier and fitter can it!

Thanks for your post OP

Headingforhealthier

I know a person who hates wearing a seatbelt because she knows someone who lived through an accident that would have been fatal if they had had their seatbelt on. In that one case, not wearing the seatbelt saved that person's life. Statistically, seatbelts save lives, and most people benefit from their use. These stories remind me of that one person.

elvensnow

One of the few good things about being in the UK - the chances of me getting shot are quite low, so no need for a bulletproof layer!

TBH I didn't think it was in any way celebratory, and it wouldn't encourage me to stay fat.

Ironic considering the first story in the article is about a man in the UK who survived being stabbed 38 times.

Having extra fat isn't necessarily a death sentence and I'm not even talking inside the scope of the article. There's tons of evidence that being "overweight" but also healthy and active can give you way more health benefits than being skinny and non active.

It's more about lifestyle and overall health than just fat vs skinny. Interesting article though. And I don't think it was trying to justify being fat, I think it's just showing that being overweight can possibly save lives as well. It's not all black and white.

delicious_cocktail

Sounds like a modest proposal.

DashDeV

It's meant to be humorous.